I See Your Eyes
by Hell's-FunnyHome
Summary: Suyapa was alone; completely alone. She shot the only family she had, even before she fully understood what it meant to live during the zombie apocalypse. But she's lucky, even though she wishes she wasn't, and survival has come easy for her. Death…is a funny thing. It comes to those who least expect it and evades those who wish it. Can she be happy when luck runs out? Daryl/OC
1. Chapter 1

**If anyone would like to see a cover for this story, made by moi, please visit my deviantart account. I'd give you the direct link, but this site won't let me place links. Please enjoy this! I'm having so much fun writing it, and I hope you're all as bloody obsessed with the man as I am, because he definitely deserves it!**

* * *

It was his stare.

The way his blue eyes–for she had focused so much on them that she knew they were a dull blue–stared at the world around him, searching for things non-existent.

The way his blue eyes glared at anyone who would remotely piss him off, and the way they would gaze at the group-appointed leader, listening to him speak and only adding input when he felt it necessary.

The way he would burn holes into the back of her purple blazer, the only thing she was able to retrieve from her mother's body hours after it ripped apart her nieces and almost killed her; had it not been for the bullet Suyapa blasted into her mother's dyed blonde hair.

It was a moment no number of zombie movies could have prepared her for and she had spent the better part of a month locked inside of their typical Florida home, mourning the death of her dearest family. What had once been a glorious yard full of plants, animals, and the latin beats of her family, soon became the cemetery of people dead-too-soon. Whispers in the dark recesses of Suyapa's mind told her she was better off with them, buried between the small koi fish pond and the tall palm tree, planted after her initial move from Honduras. But the truth was, she was too much of a coward to put the gun against her temple the way she had put it against her mother's.

There was really only one entrance Suyapa had to worry about, the front door, but it had soon been bared, her protection further secured by the cement walls surrounding the backyard; it had been an homage to old colonial latin american homes, but now it was her fort. However the food ran out and, soon, even the trees produced fruit as putrid as the bodies that had unsuccessfully tried to enter her home. That was when Suyapa placed the last bunch of flowers on her family's graves, said a prayer to a god she wasn't sure existed anymore, packed her suitcase, and drove away.

She didn't know where she was going, hell, Suyapa had never been anywhere but four places in her life and two of them were out of the country, so they didn't count. She just knew that whenever she tried following any known routes, she would find them closed off by dead ends and she would have to look for a different road. Sometimes she would be able to find gas stations prepared with mechanic shops, and she was increasingly grateful that her grandfather had taught her so much about auto repair. Sometimes she would be able to find abandoned stores that she could raid for food, her looting guilt relieved by the many signs that read, "help yourself and God bless." In fact she hadn't really encountered any straggling corpses walking around, but the rare moments she did, she was able to hide long enough for them to move away and give her a chance to sneak back into her car. She never entered other people's homes.

But, of course, as the world fell deeper into the hell of the walking dead, her luck began to run out until one day, she found herself running away from one of _them _and into a forest, too far from her car. She had quickly climbed a tree, pushed one of the branches next to her to fall, and hopefully knocked out the thing chasing her. She did not think this through and, as soon as the large branch snapped off, she fell to the ground. She looked up quickly, hearing the groaning and snapping of teeth, but found that, at least this last time, luck had not strayed far and had impaled the creature to the ground. Suyapa let out a breath relief, until she heard the creaking of the branch as the creature moved around and reached out for her. She wasn't taking any chances and so she left, to where she guessed she had left her car.

Suyapa walked for hours, her stomach growling in hunger, her legs yelling in pain, and completely lost. She looked up into the sky, hoping for some sort of sign; maybe she could figure out the lateral directions based on the sun? She wiped her short black hair back, sighing in frustration, until her shaky breaths came out as quiet cries in the hours of darkness.

* * *

She awoke some time later in the night at the sound of rustling leaves, fear entering her immediately. She jerked her head up, waiting to see one of _them_ preparing to attack her–not that they ever prepared anyway–but was surprised to see a pair of angry eyes a good ten feet away from her. Her fear did not lessen at the sight of this new man, though hope shone through that maybe she wasn't alone after all this time. She allowed herself to stare back at him, taking note of the large crossbow in his hand, aimed right at her. Maybe he would kill her, commit the act she couldn't perform herself; she let out a slow breath.

"You bit?" a deep southern voice called out; the voice of the stranger.

"N-No." Suyapa cleared her throat, the hoarseness caused by lack of speech.

"You hurt?"

"No…" She cleared her voice again as it began to give out. "Just lost."

The man took a second to look her over once more, finally nodding his head slightly when he approved of her and assured himself he was safe. Though Suyapa did notice his hand never left one particular spot over his pants; most likely another weapon.

"You seen a girl 'round here? 'Bout this big?" His hand measured to his shoulder.

Choosing not to speak, as it was still uncomfortable for her throat, Suyapa just shook her head. No, she had not seen any little girl in the forest; she hadn't seen anyone since her mother and her nieces, anyone alive at least.

The man continued to stare at her, most likely trying to figure out what to do now, when he simply turned around and started walking away. As she noticed the way her breaths began matching his retreating steps, Suyapa suddenly felt very lonely. No, that was a lie, she had felt lonely since the moment she had placed her 4 year-old niece's body in the last grave she had spent the night digging, but it was different now. She had seen someone alive and she felt the need to no longer be alone, even if he didn't talk to her. Suyapa quickly stood and ran to catch up to him, noting that he briefly glanced in her direction but said nothing and kept on walking; she took it as an approval.

* * *

_A/N: OK, here it is! The long-awaited (by me) posting of my Daryl/OC story! YAY! It was originally supposed to be a one-shot, then it spiraled out of control. I'm hoping to keep it as a mini-series, but we'll see how that goes. Honestly, I have to specific direction for this; where's it's going, I mean. What it's about? It was always supposed to be a Daryl/OC romance thing, because of my growing obsession with Daryl (and Norman) and because of a lot of emotions I've been going through lately; especially with the passing of the person dearest to me, my grandmother. I just needed to vent and connect with someone. Surprisingly, I found a lot of comfort in Daryl and the-episode-we-do-not-speak-of. I wanted to express that, somehow, and thus this story was born. If you have any ideas where you'd like to see this going, let me know, I'll see if I can work it out. I already have a little less than 7,000 words, but like I said, I don't feel it's ready to end there. (Time for self-promotion) If you like the story, please follow me on tumblr, twitter, and/or my deviantart accounts. They should all be posted on my profile, but if not, message me and I'll give you a direct link. Ok, that's enough rambling. Please review!_


	2. Chapter 2

The silence between them was not uncomfortable, but now that Suyapa had found someone to speak to, she wanted to do it again, even with a hoarse voice. "My name's Suyapa."

He looked at her, using his eyes once more to read her, before responding. "Su-what?" Well, that was definitely not _his _name.

"Suyapa," she repeated. "Named after the patron virgin of Honduras." She knew he heard her, but he didn't pry more after that. Maybe he didn't care. Not that it mattered, it was just nice to have someone to talk to. A silence fell between them once more, Suyapa having to stop every once in a while when the stranger would hold out his arm for her to cease her movement; most likely to listen for the other lost girl.

His eyes scanned the area, looking this way and that, giving Suyapa the sneaking suspicion that no movement could escape the gaze of this man.

"Stay here." He ordered unexpectedly, straightening his back and readjusting the weapon on his shoulder. "Don't move." He walked away into a clearing.

Suyapa sighed, hugging her purple blazer closer to her person, to wait for his return. That is, if he planned on returning. He could have just left her there for all she knew, again, not that she would blame him. She was a stranger to him as much as he was one to her.

At least he had her name, though she never got his.

* * *

Moments later he, surprisingly, returned in a small group of one more man and a dark haired woman, to find her kicking a stone around in the ground. The sight of another man frightened her for a second, but seeing the pale brunette behind them helped ease her tension.

"You make that much noise, walker's are sure t' find ya." Came the voice of the other man. He smiled at her, reaching out his hand, palm upwards, as if she were a child. Suyapa was no child. She was 32, thank you very much, and so she stared at it, not wanting to be rude, but not willing to let herself be patronized. "We ain't gonna hurt ya." He looked back to the original stranger Suyapa had followed to this spot, before returning his gaze to her. "I'm Rick. This is my wife, Lori," he motioned for the woman standing next to him, who gave her a warm smile. "Our friend, Daryl…he says you're lost?"

Ah, so that was his name. Daryl. Daryl continued staring at her, watching her every move, much like he had done before.

"I got chased by one of those things and I couldn't find my way back to my car." Suyapa licked her lips.

"You mean a walker?" The woman, Lori, asked, satisfied when Suyapa nodded. Walker? Is that what they called them?

"Yeah, one of those."

"What's your name, sweetie?" Again, she was no child, she would not be referred to as such.

"Suyapa, and I'd very much appreciate it if you called me by my name."

The couple looked at each other, then at Daryl, and finally at her.

"I'm sorry, could you say that one more time?" Rick asked, most likely noting the sudden snap in her voice because he asked very kindly.

"Suyapa."

Rick smiled apologetically, clearing his throat and asking her to repeat herself once more.

"Suyapa," she almost whispered, suddenly feeling awkward.

"That's the dumbest name I ever heard." Daryl scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Daryl!" Lori scolded, looking back at Suyapa and smiling nervously.

But instead of making her angry, she had the urge to laugh. Despite the world going to shit, there was at least still something that had remained. People's inability to pronounce her name! Suyapa's smile widened, easing the tension amongst the group and easing it further when she let out a light chuckle. "No, it's…it's ok. People couldn't really say my name before, I wouldn't expect the living dead to change that. Just call me 'Su'." She looked at them, happy to have found people at last. Or rather, having _them _find _her_.

* * *

The farm they had brought her to was not only untouched but, to say the absolute least, gorgeous. As a child, she had always imaged herself on a farm like this, maybe with a few more animals but what were you going to do?

It was almost dawn when they had stumbled across the hill overlooking the plaines of the farm, and Su felt a sudden peace within her. The corals, yellows, hues of blue, bright pinks; a canvas colored the sky and she brought her hand to her mouth, covering her gasp of awe.

"What? Y'ain't never seen a sunrise before or sumthin'?"

Su turned to Daryl, who walked up to her from behind, Rick and Lori were already a short distance in front of them, having most likely concluded that Su and Daryl could make their own way to the rest of the group. She closed her mouth, letting out and taking in a deep breath of air. "Never one this beautiful."

Daryl made no response, just shook his head a little, smirking, and walked ahead. "C'mon."

* * *

She felt safe here, welcomed. And, strange, all it took was one night. One night where she told her story to the other survivors, a story that, by the time it was over, had Suyapa's voice at no louder than a whisper. She had to excuse herself, after all the time of being in solitary company, her story had been difficult to share with the others.

It was Carol who approached her first, saying nothing but offering a shoulder to cry on. She had lost her little girl too and, while Su could not say they were her biological children, the two little girls might as well have been.

Twice a year, sometimes three if she could afford it, she would bring the girls down from their home in Chicago to spoil them rotten. She had to, to let them know that even if their deadbeat father wasn't around to love them, his sister was and she loved them with all her heart.

Kayla was a hyperactive 6 year-old with ADD, always zooming from one project to the next. A little trouble at first, Su found that the child had a knack for music and so she was the first to push her into music lessons, paying for them when the girl's mother refused. She was a happy child, but was even more so when she was teaching her younger sister Gabriella, 4, who had the attitude of a much older girl. She loved make up, having dozens of dolls with custom made dresses, courtesy of Su's mother. Gabi was very good at understanding difficult situations, but if a situation would every arise that did not go her way, the little thing would cry and cry until she fell asleep, only to wake up with a clean slate. A drama-queen, much like Su's mother; crying over everything.

She adored them.

Together, Carol and Su expressed their loss, their sentiments, and, together, they came away a little more content––with an added friend in a desolate world. Lori smiled sadly at Su from her seat beside the small fire, knowing the reason behind her tear-stricken face, though not entirely understanding the feeling of a child lost forever; she still had her beautiful boy.

Suyapa felt a hand pat hers and, looking up, she saw Carol's compassionate smile before the older woman left, walking over to where Daryl had been leaning against a tree, staring into the fire. Su let out a small melancholy grin, knowing how hard Daryl had been working to find Carol's little girl, even though she felt everyone's apprehension to keep up the search. It was true, after so long, and her being so young, even Su had to admit the girl was more than likely dead by now. Her smile faltered at the thought. How cold the world was becoming, herself included.

A cold breeze brought her attention back to the real world, causing her tighten her blazer around herself, and it had also alerted the rest of the group that it was time to rest, most of them walking away after giving her some sort of smile or nod of understanding. Perhaps she too should head on over to the trailer the much older man, Dale, had offered her until they could find her a suitable tent.

Su stretched, enjoying the sound of her back popping and exhaled deeply, stress dissipating, when she realized she was being watched. She looked over to find Daryl, standing by the same tree he had previously been leaning against, only this time he was staring at her.

It felt odd, having him look at her so intently, yet not knowing why, and it made Suyapa a little nervous. He didn't think still she was a threat did he? He showed no signs of such, although, he hadn't talked to her since her arrival at the farm a few days ago. She looked away to the fire, feeling her face warm itself, and pushed some of her hair behind her ear. Yes, this was very unnerving.

"Um…" She cleared her throat, hoping to ease the tension with something clever or witty, but she could think of nothing. "Well, um…" She stood, standing up straight and looking at him gently, maybe then he would see she meant no harm. "Goodnight, Daryl."

He gave a slight nod in acknowledgment, his gaze lingering for an extra second, before turning and walking away.

* * *

_A/N: Even though I have this written out, I'm cutting chapters off in places where I feel they make sense. I also don't want to post any chapters where Suyapa has no interaction with Daryl; this being the point of the story, after all. So, I can't promise chapters will be any specific length, them might remain in the 1,500-2,000 word range, or they might shift around. Who knows? Not even me…Please review!_


	3. Chapter 3

Su could barely hold the woman up, her own heart breaking at the sight of her friend in such deep sorrow. They had found Sophia, except…this wasn't Sophia. In the same way that Su's mother had stopped being Su's mother hours before she shot her. Carol pushed Su's arms off of her, surprising the younger woman but knowing it meant nothing serious. Luckily, Daryl was much stronger and able to hold the woman back as the little girl that had once been walked slowly out of the large wooden barn.

Carol and Daryl were soon on the ground, both gapping at the 12-year-old who, for a second, simply looked lost. Su couldn't believe how emaciated Sophia looked, how…how…_dead._ It was disconcerting; Su had to look away and, when she heard the gun shot, she felt her legs carry her to a nearby tree behind them to empty the contents of her stomach.

"You knew and you kept it from us!" An angry voice alerted her to the group walking back to the house. An argument had broken out between the hosts and Shane. The man was a little lose, but he hadn't ever bother Su, in fact he kind of reminded her of her brother Fernando. Always angry, always hating the world. A passing thought entered Su's mind, of whether or not her brother was alive. Did it even matter now?

Things were starting to fall apart.

* * *

The entire day had been full of awkward glances, uncomfortable silences, whispering conversations. She _had_ felt safe here, for a moment she let herself drift into a paradise that she could've happily lived in. Now, she wasn't so sure. It was obvious that the groups were now divided, she had heard that they were wanted off of the farm. Even within the respective groups, there was divide. It was too stressful for her, especially from a group she was only just beginning to get to know. She was grateful to them, for having found her, fed her, not let her succumb to the walkers in the forest, but maybe her car had been left alone for too long.

* * *

The service for the dead was short and nobody really said anything; Carol wasn't there. Su looked up, her eyes searching though, realistically, she knew Carol would not have wanted to be there. She had had so much faith for her daughter, yet Suyapa looked around hoping against hope that her friend might be present. All she found was Daryl staring at her, his eyes squinted against the sun's rays.

It was strange, he had hardly spoken a word to her since she arrived, none in fact, yet she felt as if every time he was around, she would catching him staring at her; granted, it was every time there was not something more important going on. But he seemed to know the ropes around here, she would even say he was Rick's right hand man…and he had found her…maybe he could help her get back to her car.

She walked up nervously, a small part of her scared of what he might say to her. He was never really rude, by any means, he just had that vibe to him.

"What?" He grunted, already knowing that wanted something. That's the only thing they ever talked to him for anyway.

"Um, how ya doin'?" Suyapa bit her lower lip lightly, grabbing hold of her wrist.

"Fine." He looked away, his patience wearing thin. "Wadaya want?"

"Oh, um." Suyapa frowned, he was obviously not in the right mood grant any favors. "Nothing, never mind." She shook her head, turning around to leave.

"If you got somethin' to say, say it."

She turned around quickly, raising her hands up in the air in defense. "No, nothing. Honest. Just making sure you're ok." She tried smiling, to ease the sudden tension, though she wasn't sure it was working or not. "But you obviously need your space, so, I'm just gonna leave ya to it. See ya 'round." She walked away briskly, to avoid further embarrassment.

* * *

It seemed everyone was too busy with their own dilemmas to realize how quickly Suyapa had put together the little things she had acquired whilst there. And she had yet to see Carol, she wanted to say goodbye to her closest friend at least. But soon she had her knapsack, ready to head out and find her vehicle.

Her walk towards the woods was seemingly peaceful, though the inhabitants within were anything but. She stopped to think, just where did she come from? Which direction? She knew where they had entered from, and that was the very spot she was staring into. With any luck, she'd find her car before nightfall.

"Where _you_ going?"

Suyapa turned around, surprised to hear the voice of Daryl behind her. "Oh, well, uh-"

"Can't you talk right?" He interrupted.

Her eyes strained in confusion, not sure about the nature of his answer. "Wadaya mean?"

"Every time you talk, it's like ya can't start a sentence without, 'oh', or, 'um,' damn."

Her lips formed a circle in understanding. She was usually much more articulate than this, it's just with Daryl she felt like her words had to be chosen much more carefully.

"Didn't ya hear?" He leaned against a tree, taking out a stick and his knife to whittle, glancing up at her every couple of seconds.

"It's just, well," she laughed at the irony of having used such a word again. "It's just, I'm not sure of a lot of things lately, so I guess…my words reflect that?"

He scoffed, spitting in the grass next to him. "What you ain't got to be sure 'bout? The worlds gone to hell, the dead are walking the earth, it's survival of the fittest. Not much simpler'n that." He shrugged his shoulders, putting his instruments away in replace of a cigarette.

Suyapa felt her mouth water, the craving having come back ten fold after such a long time. But he probably hadn't had a cigarette in a long time either, so even if she asked, he probably wouldn't give her one.

"You gonna snatch it out my hand?"

"Huh?" She snapped up to look him in the eye, a blush creeping up her cheeks at having been caught. "No, I just-"

"Here." He offered her the already light cigarette, which she hesitantly took, but very happily inhaled.

She must have held it in too long because, next thing she knew, her head was woozy and she had to lean against the tree for support. Daryl laughed, surprising her with how gentle his chortle was.

"Hey, don't make fun of me." She smiled. "I haven't had a cigarette for weeks now."

Daryl rolled his eyes, a grin showing on his stubbled face. He was very handsome, and Su felt suddenly strange; he was staring at her. She licked her lips, taking in one more inhalation of the cigarette and handed it back to Daryl.

"Thanks," she exhaled, a quiet cough escaping. "Um…hey Daryl?" He looked at her, nodding his head in the middle of a drag as a response. "Have you seen Carol?" She was surprised to see his mood drop instantly, sucking his teeth and scoffing at her.

"The hell should I know." He grabbed his crossbow from the ground and placing it on his shoulder; he wanted to leave. "She ain't my problem."

"No, I know. I just," Su licked her lips, feeling awkward at what she was about to say. "I wanted to say goodbye."

"'Bye?' Where the hell _you _goin'?" He glared at her, making Suyapa feel very small beneath his gaze.

"I-I figured it was time for me to go back because I, um, know things aren't going so well with everybody and you don't need an extra person to be lookin' after."

Daryl looked her up and down, scoffing and rolling his eyes again, refusing to answer her question and beginning to walk away. Su didn't want to leave on such a bad note, especially not with Daryl. "Daryl!" She chased after him.

"Shut up, man. Gonna attract some damn walkers." He snapped at her.

"Sorry." Her voice instantly lowered in volume as she walked beside him. It felt like the first time he had found her, them walking in this strange silence. "Is it a problem that I'm leaving?"

"Do what the hell you want." Daryl began walking faster, spending less time looking and more time moving away from Su.

"No, seriously, is it a problem? 'Cause if I gotta talk to someone about it I will-"

"Jesus crhist, woman! Shut up! Damn. Scarin' away all the goddamn squirrels." He grumbled at the end of his sentence.

Suyapa swallowed the lump that rose in her throat, knowing she was about to cry when her eyes began to burn and it became harder to breath through her nose. Before saying anything, she turned and started walking the other direction, away from Daryl and the upset vibe he was sending out. He obviously didn't want her around, and by sticking around she was just pissing him off, which was pretty stupid because she was leaving anyway. She wiped her face as she felt the first of her salty tears begin to fall. Shit. Her paced quickened.

"Hey! I'm talkin' to ya!" Daryl had appeared behind her, grabbing her arm and turning her around only to see her red and wet face. "Oh hell naw!" He threw his arm in the air. "The hell you cryin' for? I ain't done nothin'!"

Suyapa shook her head, knowing that if she spoke she would only cry more. It wasn't so much what he had said, it was the situation as a whole, her confusion getting the better of her. Suyapa genuinely did not know where she stood in the grand scheme of what was now her life. "Sorry." She managed to whisper underneath a chocked sob.

"Y'know, y'all are the same! Always thinkin' you can make some type of decision and it ain't gonna affect nobody else, but everybody gotta be following right behind y'alls or else we're the bad guys!" So much for her scaring away the squirrels and attracting walkers. "You gonna go back to yer car? Fine. C'mon." He gripped onto her wrist, dragging her in the direction she had been walking towards. "I ain't bout to have another walker struttin' around, when your ass gets bit. Waste of a good arrow." Again he mumbled. He had a habit of it when he wasn't exploding at someone. "Where's yer car?" He snapped at her.

"I, uh, I'm not sure." She answered meekly, knowing he'd be pissed off at that too, on top of everything else.

He let go of her hand, as if she was covered in fire or something, and glared at her. "The hell you mean you ain't sure? Goddamn it woman, don't you know shit? Can't accept the end of the world, don't know where Carol is, don't know where yer car is, can't even talk righ-"

"Ok, that's enough!" Suyapa clenched her fists, her eyes still brimming with tears but this time of anger. "I know! Ok? You don't have to tell me, I know how fuckin' useless I am in this whole thing. Somehow I've been lucky, because otherwise I should've died a long time ago! But I know I can't even do _that _because I'm too much of a coward to even put a bullet in my head. I'm not here for the sake of survival, I'm here because I got nothin' else. So don't you tell me what I tell myself every day Daryl, because that's just not fair!" She half expected him to remain quiet after her outburst, especially since it would've been the most and loudest she had ever spoken to someone in the group. But no, that was not Daryl.

"Ain't nothin' fair 'bout dead corpses rising up and tryin' to eat people! And you can do what the hell you want, I'm done with y'all!" He walked in front of her but stopped there, as if he were waiting for her to respond.

"Y'know you keep saying that, but every time I try to do something I want you start throwing this hissy fit. What the hell crawled up your ass? What the hell did I do to you?!"

"Damn it it's not just you, it's everybody! Thinkin' I'm yer goddamn dog or somethin', well I ain't! I looked for that little girl everywhere, got hurt doin' it, yet everybody expects me to be all fine and dandy to go chasin' after the rest of you's! Naw, the hell wit'y'all!"  
"I didn't ask you to come after me, you asshole! I'm perfectly fine finding my stuff on my own."  
"The hell you are," he turned to grab her, stopping her from going anywhere. "I told you, I ain't wastin' no arrow on you, 'cause you sure are hell ain't gonna survive out there. C'mon." he yanked her back towards the entrance of the woods.

"What? Wait. Where are we going?" She tried to pry his hand away from hers. "Let me go!"

"I said, you ain't goin' nowhere!" He shot her a look, freezing her on the spot.

"Fine, I'm not going! Just let me go, you're hurting me!"

Daryl released her immediately, looking down to see her forearm was red with a hand imprint etching her light brown skin. Guilt filled him. "Sorry." He whispered, much different from the tone he had previously been using.

"Daryl."

He looked to her face, the same one he couldn't help but watch every time they were around each other. It's not that she was outright gorgeous, she was in fact very plain, much more Hispanic looking that he had ever preferred, but she wasn't ugly. Her lips were her best feature; small, round, not thin but not too plump, and she always bit them, which meant they usually had some color to them. No, it's that Daryl felt she was broken, much in the same way he was. In the way that the rest of the group was only just starting to really understand. He could see the faraway look on her face, the perpetual grief she was in, about always thinking of her mother and nieces. They had both lost any family they had, Daryl could see the significance they held written on her face, and that was when the end of the world really began for them. Even when everything seemed to be ok, when she laughed alongside Andrea or when Daryl would plan strategies with Rick, even when everything seemed well, deep down inside there was an emptiness that couldn't be filled by the kindness of strangers. They _needed_ family.

"Daryl." She snapped him out of his reverie.

"What?" He spoke much more calmly, staring at her fragile face, still red from their interactions. He felt the urge to touch her face, to see if it was as warm as it looked right then. His hand rose, settling on her neck with his thumb on her cheek. It was very warm.

"You, um," she cleared her throat, feeling it constrict at his touch and the pit of her stomach was starting to feel similarly constricted. She placed her hand on top of his, leaning into his touch, wanting to feel a deep embrace. She didn't get to finish her sentence when she felt his lips on hers, soft after first then hungry and demanding.

Daryl dropped the crossbow on his shoulder so he could better grab hold of her, wrapping the hand from her face to press harder against his, his other pressing her body close to his. She, in turn, wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. He was soon nipping onto her lower lip, Su feeling it swell and warm at his teasing. She parted her lips, allowing him to delve deeper into the kiss, his tongue pressing up against hers, with her moaning in response. He pulled away, allowing them a moment to breathe, before leaning down once more in a less intrusive, but still demanding, kiss. He took hold of her lower lip between his own, pulling it slightly then letting it go, watching her as her eyes fluttered back open to reveal glistening pools of dark brown. They weren't unshed tears, Daryl noted, they were just shining.

"C'mon." He grabbed once again, much gentler this time, and retrieved his weapon. He still needed those squirrels for dinner.

* * *

_A/n: This one was a bit longer than the last two chapters, almost by a thousand words! But yes, a little Su/Daryl sum'in sum'in. I was just thinkin' that this story is in serious need for some smut, and an ending. Both of which I've been out in my head. I do want to keep this relatively short, so don't expect for me to continue this past season two or anything, because the truth is that if I do, it'll only be as an epilogue, or something. **Please, please, PLEASE**_** review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Had to republish this, there was a part that was seriously riddled with errors. Couldn't allow that, now, could I?**

* * *

"How'd you do it?" Su whispered, looking deeply into the glowing fire. "How'd you get over losing your brother?"

Daryl poked the flames with a stick, making sure the heat would last past their dinner. He shrugged, looking up at the younger woman calmly. "Didn't dwell on it." He turned the squirrels around, hoping his short answer would suffice. He wasn't really in the mood to talk feelings; that was pussy talk.

"But he was your brother." She pressed, this time looking up, her face radiating the orange light.

His mouth remained closed, refusing to continue the conversation, and stared right back at her. Daryl saw her sigh in defeat and cross her arms around her middle, covering her abdomen and circling around herself. Insects, the fire, and the occasional night breeze were the only sounds he processed, though he could see the deep breaths moving through her body. "Hey." Daryl called out, signaling with his head that he wanted her to next to him rather than across from him.

A look of hesitation crossed her face, but it was gone as soon as it came and she obediently walked over to sit next to Daryl, though still maintaining a small distance between them. "I have––had––a brother too, y'know. He wasn't a great one… he was a shitty father, like mine, and was the worst kind of son, always getting into trouble and causing headaches for my mom. But he was still family." Daryl moved his eyes between the meat and her face, quiet as ever. "I haven't seen him in a long time, last I heard he was locked up for six years, but he would've only serve two by now; it was his life, there was nothing we could do about it. But his girls," she bit her lip, her voice rising in pitch. "–his girls were completely innocent to everything. They shouldn't have had to wonder why their dad was never around, why–-when he was-–he would only fight with their mom and yell at them. I tried to make it better, I tried to let them know they would grow up, maybe fatherless, but with love." A tear strolled down her face, which she quickly wiped away. "But they were… _ripped_ open by their own grandmother… I saw it, saw her digging her teeth into their skin. Heard them _screaming_ in pain and, and _fear_. Kayla trying to protect her little sister before she was torn apart too…How do you get over something like that?" Her gaze remained glued to the fire set before them, images of that fateful night blotching her memory.

"You don't." He stated bluntly. "World ain't a place for fairytales anymore, ain't someplace you can just pay someone to drug your problems away. Either you dwell on the past an' get eaten, or you move on and survive."

"But is it even worth it? Without them, my mom, my girls…without them, is there even a point?" Her voice lowered to a whisper, barely scraping past the breathy sighs concealing her tears.

Daryl looked into the flickering flames, grabbing two of the squirrels by the stick and handing one to Su, who shook her head and refused the food. Daryl shrugged internally, eating both rodents himself. She'd eat when she wanted to.

"Surprised y'ain't off'ed yerself yet." Daryl tore out a chunk of meat, speaking when he noticed her sniffing had quieted some, but not stopping to watch her.

Su looked up at him, focusing on the way his muscles moved and contracted as he ate. "I tried." She looked at her hands, dirty and covered in cuts. Daryl stopped chewing, grunting in response and waiting for her to continue. "After I buried them, I-I put the pistol to my head, but I couldn't pull the trigger. I was shaking. I thought, maybe it was the emotions of the day so I tried it again the day after, and again some time after that. Four times… I attempted to end my life four times, but I could never stop shaking…and it was as if there was a restraint on my finger that wouldn't let me pull the trigger. I didn't think I could go on without them but I just…I couldn't do it."

Daryl slowly began to chew his meat again, processing what she had just told him. He wasn't surprised, Su didn't seem like a necessarily strong person, physically or mentally. It usually annoyed it to see a person like that, but he could see the potential in her. Potential to become a fighter and surviver. Su just needed that _push_, so that she could see it herself. Daryl couldn't believe that anyone was _that_ lucky unless they deserved it. "For someone who wanted to die so badly, I'm surprised you lasted this long." He croaked, finally turning to look at her once again.

"You think I'm not? Everyday I told myself, 'this is it, this is the last day I'll live to see.' But I was always lucky. Somehow, I was always able to find food, supplies, gas…my car was my shelter and I never really had to stop to kill any walkers." She let out a deep breath, wiping away any residue water from her eyes and turned to Daryl with a melancholic grin. "Maybe there's something looking out for me. If you had told me this a year ago, I might've even said it was my guardian angel, but you're right. There _isn't_ room for fairytales, and the god of love I'd been taught about obviously doesn't exist. So we'll just chalk it up to the luck." She smiled and Daryl watched it slowly fade away in time with her eyes lowering to the space between them.

"I never really believed in god, so maybe he ain't the one lookin' after ya, and if he don't exist I doubt some freaky blonde guy in a dress with wings would be doin' it either. But I always liked to think if yer family could take care of ya before they died, why not after?" Daryl took the hand closest to Su and grabbed hers, looking at it as he spoke. "Maybe yer not as alone as you think. It could be yer mom lookin' out for ya now, with yer nieces. I think maybe they wanted ya to survive, to carry on their memory now since no one else could do it better." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, before wiping away the sudden onslaught of heavy tears that appeared. Daryl could feel her mood shift, the air not so awkward anymore, and when she reached over to grab a squirrel from the fire, he knew her emotions were calmed for now.

"Thanks." Su murmured, nibbling into the meat. "Y'know, this ain't half bad," she smiled.

Daryl nodded in understanding. "'s'no problem. You just missed yer family. I get it."

Su grinned, letting silence take over again, happy that this time it wasn't an uncomfortable one, and her smile grew as she saw Carol walking over to their make-shift camp. Until she saw the look on Daryl's face that is.

* * *

It had gotten too weird. First, she had to sit quietly while Carol roamed around his camp, only for Daryl to lash out at her; all while Carol allowed it. These were two people she cared about. Carol was obviously looking for someone to latch onto after losing her only daughter, Daryl refused to let her, and Su could not just sit idly by.

"Man, just go! I don' want you here!"

"Daryl…" Su cautiously approached, hoping to not get on his bad side.

"You're a real piece o' work, lady… What? You gonna make this about my _daddy _or some crap like that?" He scoffed, pacing back and worth, not bothering to acknowledge Su or the fact that she was now standing next to Carol, her hand on her friend's shoulder for support. "Man, you don't know jack…You're afraid," he glared at Carol, his finger pointed right at her face.

Su couldn't handle looking at Daryl as he, so maliciously, pointed out the obvious; ironic, when he didn't bother to acknowledge his own demons. She felt Carol tense, leading her to grip her friends hand.

"You're afraid 'cause yer all alone!"

"Daryl!" Su wrapped her arm around Carol's shoulder, the older woman still standing tall, though her eyes were brimming with unshed tears.

"Shut up!" Daryl led his eyes to Su for a moment, angry, then stared right at Carol's. This wasn't her conversation in the first place. "Got no husband, no daughter, y'don't know what to do with yourself." He began walking away. "An' you ain't my problem! Sophia wasn't mine! WHY DIDN' YA JUS' KEEP AN EYE ON 'ER!"

Carol swallowed the comment back, her head turning to Su's shoulder, while the latter stared in shock at his outburst. "Daryl, that's enough!" Her voice cracked; she should've kept an eye on her nieces as well, maybe then they wouldn't have gotten attacked.

Daryl ignored her, a fire in his eyes and the dark of the night making them look almost black. Carol tried speaking, her voice lost in emotion, and stared right at him with a defeated look on her face. Two pairs of eyes stared at the anger in the third, searching for something––_anything_–– to bring them back to the way things were, and Su was surprised when she felt Carol pull herself away, no longer able to hold back the weep.

They stood there, Daryl's chest heaving with anger and Su's eyes staring him down. "That was completely unnecessary, Daryl."

"Man, fuck you!" He turned, making his way to his tent.

"No, fuck you and your shitty attitude!" Su clenched her fist, her eyes shut as she cursed him.

"What you say?" Daryl paused, his head turning slowly to watch her. "Say it again to my face…" he growled, threateningly.

"Fuck. You. She was only trying to help!" She stood her ground, feeling a strange fear. She had seen Daryl upset, had heard _of_ his tantrums, but never first-hand had she experienced that look he was giving her now; it was so different from the way he usually looked at her.

"Yeah? Well I don't _need_ her help, don't need _nobody's_ help, specially not _yours _so why don'ya jus' mind yer own business!" He stomped to her until he was frighteningly close. "If ya care so much 'bout her, why don' you jus' run to yer Momma Carol, since ya can' go back to yer real one!"

"Shut up, Daryl, that's not funny." Su whispered, looking down and away from him.

"I ain't laughin' an' I ain't jokin'."

Su looked up to face him, her lips pursed and her eyes gleaming. Before she knew what was happening, she felt her arm raise to Daryl's face before he grabbed it out of mid-air.

"I would seriously reconsider doin' that, if I were you." His eyes narrowed and his voice was dangerously low.

No sooner had he released her hand that Su went through with her threat and she walked away, leaving behind a very angry Dixon with a stinging cheek. He was tempted to go after her, show her not to fuck with a Dixon, but seeing two women walk away from him in the same night because of his comments was suddenly weighing on him.

Guilt. Not an easy feeling to deal with and one Daryl usually tried to ignore.

* * *

_A/N: Ugh, I feel awful…this is a lot shorter than the last chapter, even if it's around the same length as the first two. And _yes_ I just made Su and Daryl fight. Why? Because emotions run high, he's still upset over Sophia and not even an OFC could change that. Also, anyone else notice the lack of romance right now? Because I sure as hell did. But it's there for a reason. I don't regret the kiss, but I think Daryl would be the type that would want to be emotionally connected to someone (maybe not in love, per-say, but connected) before something further would occur. But he's also an in-the-moment sort of guy, which explains why he kissed her in the first place. Those are my canons, and I'm stickin' to them. And––this I get from many Norm-intervies––Daryl is too awkward to bring it up anyway, plus Su's still living in between the past and this new setting, which is why it might feel like they forgot the kiss happened in the first place. It'll all make sense, I hope. Anyway, _**please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

Su's leg swayed up and down quickly, a nervous tick along with biting the skin off of her finger. Daryl wouldn't talk to her, not that she wanted to speak to him right now, but it still stung when she would catch him staring at her before scoffing and walking away. She thought, maybe, with Carol she could have some company, but was very much hurt when Carol smiled sadly at her and said, "I'm really grateful for your support, but I'd like it if you left me alone for a while."

Even Lori, who was usually quick to smile at her, if only through sympathy, was so preoccupied with her own problems. And now there was the issue of the boy Rick had brought back. There was so much drama, so many emotions. The thing was, when Su thought about leaving again, something in her didn't let her do it.

"Su? Could I talk to you for a bit?" Glancing up, Suyapa saw Dale had been the one to bring her out of her thoughts. She smiled softly, nodding her head, already knowing what he was going to say; everybody in the camp knew. "This whole affair with Randall, you realize that it's wrong right?"

Su nodded again, though she wasn't sure if it was in understanding or in agreement. "Well why don't you say something? Help me save this kid's life." Her mouth opened but, as she found no words, she slowly closed it and shrugged her shoulders instead, her face apologetic. "C'mon, Su, if it really mattered, you'd say something. You already know it's wrong, why not let everyone else know it?"

"That's the thing, though," she started, eyes firmly on the ground. "Does it really matter?"

"What? Of course it matters! That's a life right there, a life they're so quick to just throw away, and for what? Because they're scared he _might_ turn on us, because his group _might_ come looking for him? There are so many other alternatives!" He bent down to her eye level, back hurting but dealing with it if it meant saving Randall.

"Those are some pretty big 'mights', Dale." Su looked up, "aren't you scared if they come true?"

"Of course I'm scared! But that's no reason to torture him for information and kill him. If we destroy what we fear, all of our progress as a society is wasted, we're no better than-than _barbarians_ or-or the _nazis_."

"You're sayin' we're gonna produce the next holocaust? That's a little ol' school Americana, don't ya think?" Su tried to lighten the mood with some humor that Dale had, apparently, not understood.

"No! Well, what I'm trying to say is that, fear drove the nazi's and their propaganda, led them to kill-"

"Yes, I know my history. I'm latin-american, the nazis came to our countries when they fled." It was her small grin that let Dale know she wasn't trying to be difficult, she was just trying to understand what he said in her own way. Obviously, Su didn't like to delve too deeply into complicated matters. "Actually, speaking strictly USA, did you know Charlie Chaplin was kicked out of the country because, after _The Great Dictator_, the FBI labeled him as a 'premature anti-fascist.'" She looked away from him, taking a second to appreciate the breeze that around her, and cooled her body. "The truth is, I don't feel like I have a right to this group's decisions, especially when I haven't done anything to earn my place. It's true that the way they're torturing him is awful, but the information was needed. Killing him, that's a whole other issue, but if I can't even make confident decisions over my own life, what makes you think I'm qualified over what they do with his?"

"Look Su," Dale sighed, trying to find the best way to both comfort and convince her. "I know you haven't been with us very long, and we haven't spoken much outside of sleeping arrangements, but you seem to me a very smart woman, and a caring one. You're right, you haven't saved anyone's life, you haven't provided any physical help or labor to earn your keep, but understand that you _are_ a part of this group. Seeing a face, a new and kind one, helps us remember that there was once a society. We might not have been a great one but we _were_ a civilization. That's why we took you in. That's why it's wrong to kill off a young boy that has a right to continue fighting for his life."

Su looked up, appreciating his words, and smiled a gentle smile. His words didn't exactly comfort her, but they possessed the wisdom she could not hope to have, and they assured her a bit. "Alright," her head shook in agreement. "It might not count for much and I might not give such an amazing or inspiring speech as you, but you can tell 'em I agree."

"Thank you." His relief was evident, and he placed a hand on her shoulder, first in gratitude but then as a crutch when his back gave out.

"You ok?" Su grabbed his arm to steady him and help him up.

Dale chuckled, "just getting old."

* * *

"THIS IS A YOUNG MAN'S LIFE!"

Su would have been startled, had they not been yelling and arguing already. Instead, her fingers floated carefully over piano keys in an attempt to exclude herself from the discussion.

"Is this what it's come to?" Everyone remained quiet, taking in the truth of Dale's words but not willing to lose their fear. "We kill someone because we can't decide what else to do with'em? You saved 'im, like you saved her!" Dale pointed at Su, who looked straight at him.

This was dangerous territory to flow into and, when Su looked around, she saw realization in the faces of a couple of the group's members. Suyapa turned her body closer to the piano, bring in a leg underneath her and careful not to touch Glenn. If she made herself smaller, maybe they'd forget she was here again. Rick frowned, quickly glancing at her then back at Dale, and Su found herself staring into Carol's eyes again, wanting some reassurance. She found none.

The group fell into a silence, only the insects from outside being heard, and Su began to fiddle with the fraying fabric of her purple jacket. When the discussion picked up again, she was almost relieved, knowing it was the discussion that was weighing heavily on _their_ minds and not her.

"Stop it!" Carol's timid voice called out, breaking everyone from the debate and focusing their attention on to her. "Just stop it. I'm sick of everybody arguing and fighting. I didn't ask for this. You can't ask us to decide something like this. Please decide, either of you––both of you––but leave me out."

"Not speaking out or killing him yourself. There's no difference." Dale's eyebrows raised critically.

"Alright, that's enough." Rick intervened, seeing the situation getting out of hand. "Anybody wants the floor, before we make a final decision, has a chance."

Su waited for someone to speak, but it seemed everyone was doing the same and waiting on some other person to speak. She knew Dale was probably expecting her to say something, if not then the other people he was able to convince. But she remained quiet.

"You once said, 'we don't kill the living.'" Dale attempted again in desperation.

"Well, that was before the living tried to kill us." Rick defended.

"Don't you see, if we do this, the people that we were––the world that we knew––is _dead_." Dale took a moment to breath. "And this new world, it's ugly. Harsh! It-t-it-it's…survival of the fittest!An' that's a world I don't wanna live in. An' I don't believe that any of you do! I can't! Please…" Dale begged, tears of despair forming, as he fought against the decision that had already been made. "Let's just do what's right." His hat was clutched tightly in his hand, the only support he found at the present. "Isn't there anyone else who is going to stand with me?"

The group looked at each other; Lori to her husband, T-Dog to Shane, Beth to Maggie, everyone had someone to look to. Except for Su, who fought against the temptation to look at both Carol and Daryl. She wanted to speak up, she really did, Dale had already called her out on it, but Su didn't have the words for this sort of thing.

She cursed the damn apocalypse, the end of the world she knew, wishing that somehow she could wake up from this nightmare and carry on her morning routine. It was beautiful in its simplicity: wake up, breakfast, work, home, dinner, and end it with a good book. She'd take time off when the girls came to visit, but the schedule was pretty much the same. It was nothing complicated, just something to give her assurance in life. That no longer existed. She cursed her ineptitude.

"This group _is_ broken." Dale sounded much closer to her than before.

Su brought her eyes up to see he wasn't talking to her, but to Daryl, before turning to her and shaking his head. She'd let him down. Daryl followed him out with his eyes, much like the rest of the group, but then brought his bright blues to her shining, dark browns.

He thought about it for a second, watching her face contorted with different emotions. She looked like a lost child, begging for solace, but it was different from before. Daryl could see her helplessness when she first arrived but, even then, she seemed somewhat carefree, passively living each day. Now…he understood that she was starting to accept the group as hers, just like Daryl was starting to realize. She still acted like an outsider, most of the time walking around the fields and watching the trees, or helping with small tasks around the camp. But she was teetering on accepting the idea of whether she _was_ part of the group or not.

Daryl could relate. He knew Rick needed him, but Rick looked to Shane for most of the important decisions. Daryl was the muscle of the group, the one willing to do the tough jobs, and he was fine with that. It was only that, every time something big happened, he found himself crying out for input, to put in _his_ two cents. Daryl wasn't a leader, but he had the growing desire to keep the group safe; that was all he really understood.

He wanted to keep her safe, too. Since his eruption, he would see her sitting out a safe distance from the group. He took each moment that he wasn't asked to do something to watch her, wanting to see that she wouldn't leave and that she wasn't putting herself carelessly in danger. And he remembered seeing her looking out to the sun, her shoulders pulled back surprisingly defiant as she fought against the sun and breeze, her mouth turned down in wonder; Daryl had never seen her look so lost or so beautiful.

* * *

He had grabbed her hand gently, leading her out of the house and to his camp, not having said a word until they arrived. The sun was quickly setting, the night turning colder, and Su waited inside his tent like he had asked her to; to wait until they had finished with Randall. An apology was something she wanted, but would have done without the moment he sat her down to kiss her. His lips pressed against hers firmly, her face held close by his large and rough hands. That's all it was, lips against lips, but while it was firm and passionate, there was no lust behind it; it was two people that needed to feel each other. The days had gone by since he last showed this type of affection, but more importantly it had grown lonely without his company.

Loneliness, the way she had felt when she was on her own, when she was with anyone really, but now there were two people that helped cure that: Carol and Daryl. Carol was still trying to deal with everything, Su understood that, and so her presence was missed but not to the extent Su felt for Daryl. They were becoming her family. She was just starting to realize that. Su wanted Daryl around, needed him, the sense of protection and empathy.

A loud scream broke her out of her thoughts and Su burst out of Daryl's tent, her ears straining to locate where it was coming from. She heard the commotion of the other group members as they rushed towards the plaines, breaking through the fog.

"Dale!"

Su's body went into auto-pilot at the mention of the older man's name, fear that his life was in danger filling her with despair. Following the flashlights, a cry echoed out of her when she heard Dale's cry of pain.

"DALE!" Her legs carried her faster to him, nearly tripping over the uneven ground. Seeing Daryl had already arrived reassured her until she saw him waving for help. Something had happened and it only made her determination stronger, pushing her legs past their limits.

The moment she arrived, everyone was already there, hysterical and alarmed. Rick was bent over Dale's body and trying to comfort him somehow. The laceration on his stomach was huge, blood spilled everywhere, and his organs were threatening to come out. Su fell to her knees, her face in shock, as tears slowly began to spill onto her pants. Not even the nausea she felt as a lump in her throat could break her out of it. "No…no, no, no…"

It was guilt. Guilt that he had comforted her but she had failed to utter a single word in his defense when he needed it; when he had asked and she promised she'd be there. He was someone she was just starting to get to know, but he seemed a great person already. It was because of their fear and silence he left in the first place…and now he was dying because of those monsters.

"Hold on."

"Can we move him?" Rick asked.

"No, he won't make it to the house." Hershel answered, arriving in a hurry.

"You'll have to do the operation here." Trying to save Dale, Rick hurried to open up room around Dale.

"Rick!" Hershel gathered everyone's attention. "He won't make it."

Slowly, Suyapa got back on her feet to stand closer to Daryl, who wrapped his arms around her while staring at the dying old man. Her tears had stopped, but she pressed herself closer to Daryl, wanting to be near him.

Dale was suffering, everyone could see that, and Andrea made it clear, something needed to be done, though she didn't take the burden upon herself. It was Rick who stepped up to raise the gun aimed at Dale's head, and Su looked away, not wanting to see someone else she knew die. But she heard no gunshot and, instead, felt Daryl press his lips to the top of her head before leaving her. He was going to do it, Su knew, Daryl was going to pull the trigger himself. She closed her eyes and tensed her body, preparing for the inevitable bullet.

"I'm sorry brother."

She flinched.

* * *

_A/N: Phew! Sorry for posting this later than I usually do, but I've been running after my nieces all week, and I've been working on homework, plus Tumblr is a MAJOR distraction from everything. So anyway, here's the next chapter; I'm somewhat in between loving this chapter, and wondering if it makes sense. Things make sense in my head, sometimes, but not to everyone else. Please let me know if things are nice and clear! This one's a bit longer, and the next one is gonna be a whopper. Honestly, it makes sense all together, but I might be forced to break it in two or three parts, depending on how much longer it gets. The end is coming up, I'm just trying to fit in a nice little smut scene before it all ends. I've love to hear from you, so please REVIEW!_


	6. Chapter 6

Suyapa was tired of running; her legs were in pain from the physical exertion, her elbows were red and bleeding, as were her hands from pushing away hard branches, and she was feeling her torso compress from both her heart pounding wildly against her chest simultaneously with her lungs contracting. She wanted to stop…with all her being she wanted to cease running, to give up, forget the fight for survival and just let the walkers have at her but, for the first time since the downhill spiral into hell began, Suyapa found a voice inside convincing her that…she really didn't _want_ to.

"AH!"

A forceful grunt pushed the walker that had grabbed onto her purple jacket, ripping the material in the process. If it hadn't been for her hurry to get away, she would've taken the time to be angry, but there was not a moment to spare and she was soon running again, praying she would find the group soon…

That she would find Daryl soon.

* * *

_A couple hours earlier…_

* * *

"Daryl!" A wide smile spread across Suyapa's face, relief evident at seeing the country man safe and sound. She never doubted his abilities, but that didn't stop her from worrying about his safety, what with everything that was starting to go down. The straw that broke the camel's back was Randall's escape, which made everyone panic and come into the house for protection.

Daryl turned to her quickly nodding his head in acknowledgment, but pushed past her into the center of the living room. Something was wrong. "Rick an' Shane ain't back?"

"No." Lori stated plainly.

"We heard a shot."

"Maybe they found Randall."

"We found him."

Suyapa stood quietly, fear growing with each word let out from the group. "What do you mean he wasn't bit? How'd he become a walker then?" Suyapa was no expert when it came to walkers, but if there was one thing she was positive of it was that one had to get bit in order for the infection to spread and for you to become one of them.

Glenn shrugged, "We don't know. He was dead before he ever turned."

"What?" Su whispered to herself, sharing the same look of confusion that was on everyone else's features.

"Shane ain't no tracker…No, they were together."

Suyapa looked up, hoping if she paid attention to the details she might make sense of the mystery at hand. Lori quickly got up, her hands pleading with Daryl, for him to go out and find Rick. Swallowing her nerves back, Su looking at Carol with the same expression of anxiety. They shouldn't doubt his ability, Suyapa reminded herself, but it was no use. It was one thing to go out into the world of the dead with a basic understanding of how things worked, but with their whole belief system quickly torn apart by the discovery of one unbitten walker; who knew what to expect anymore.

_'Go!' _Carol mouthed, directing her head towards the door Daryl had just left from. She had just needed time, and a cup of tea, and they were now on good terms. Su nodded, returning a worried smile to her friend once and following Daryl out.

"Daryl!" Su called out, stopping when she found him on the porch.

He turned around, hiking his crossbow more securely on his shoulder. "Ya can't come with me. S'too dangerous. Don't know what might happen out there."

"I'm not trying to follow you out." Su defended, moving closer until she was directly in front of him. "Not to sound like a wimp, but I can barely hold my own when I _know _what's going on. I'd definitely be dead if I went out there now."

Daryl scoffed. "I thought that's what you wanted." His eyes squinted, hunter or not, the light of the porch light did nothing but darken her face; she frowned and bit her lip. For a second, Daryl thought he might've been too insensitive, not that he could honestly tell when certain comments were inappropriate, so he waited for her reaction to see how he should proceed.

"Yeah, I did…at one point." She looked down as she kicked away a branch. Su took a deep breath, taking in the possibility of her dying to the hands of walkers in the middle of the forest and finding the idea to be repulsive more than anything. "But I'm not sure that's what I want anymore."

Daryl looked up, Lori was standing by the door with a look that told him to get going. He nodded and waited for her to return inside before focusing on the hispanic woman. "If y'ain't gonna help, then waddaya want?" He spit towards the grass beyond them, growing impatient with her sheepishness.

"I–I'm not sure…I guess I just wanted to say be careful." Su blinked, staring into Daryl's blue eyes.

"Ain't gotta tell me to be careful. I can take care of myself jus' fine."

"No, I know. It's just…" Suyapa tucked a bit of hair behind her ear.

"Spit it out woman, damn!" Daryl spat, but apologized when he saw her flinch.

"No, it's fine…Still can't talk right, huh?" Su chuckled then sighed. "Listen, I just–there's this weird feeling about tonight. I've had it all day. Don't think less of me, but Carol and I were so relieved when you came back, and then you spring us with the whole no-bite-to-walker thing that I can't help but feel there's something worse that's going to happen. So I know this sounds super sappy, but you better come back alive with Rick. Because you have at least two people who really want you to be safe and if something were to happen to you-" Su was cut off by Daryl's lips against hers.

And just like that her anxiety was relieved.

She was annoying a lot of the time, a weak little mousy thing with an attitude that didn't match, but Daryl understood her. She was a loner, having picked two people to cling to since she arrived, and even then preferring his quiet company over anyone else. She was trying to survive a life without family, which was more important to her than anything. He supposed that, had circumstances been different, she probably would've left to search for her family the same way Daryl had spent so much time looking for Merle. But her family was gone, she had nothing left, yet here she was wanting _him_ to be careful.

When Daryl pulled away, he found her hand clutching his shirt and pressed against his chest. Her eyes shone, reflecting the light of the moon, and her eyebrows were turned up, contrasting her smile. He dove down to place another kiss on her forehead, the mussed her growing black hair; it was just about reaching her shoulders.

"Come back…to me?"

Daryl took a moment to softly pinch her cheek, smirk, and nod; all a reassurance that he would, indeed, come back to her. Before he could continue on his quest for Rick, however, Daryl paused, walking closer to the edge of the porch, noticing something very strange about the far-reaches of the farm. Su turned, hearing the light footsteps of Andrea who had, possibly, come to help Daryl.

_'Walkers on the farm?'_

* * *

"Lori, he's not here." Suyapa looked around to the other women to the frantic mother who was desperately searching for her son. "If he had been down here we would've found him, believe me, we checked everywhere…" There were at least five people looking for Carl, all trying to reassure Lori that her boy would be safe, to no avail.

"No! He _has_ to be here! Where else could he have gone?!" Lori panicked, brushing her hair back and placing a hand on her stomach.

"Maybe he went with Rick and Shane?" Suyapa offered hesitantly. What do you say when you're, yourself, unsure?

"What do I do?!" Lori placed a hand over her mouth.

"He was here. He must've run off, maybe lookin' for Rick or just went after Randal himself. " Carol interjected, her voice shaking.

The women didn't have a second to think about whether or not the comment was genuine or simply faux reassurance, because moments after Carol spoke they all noticed the barn was on fire. Lori spun around quickly, with the newfound thought that maybe Carl was actually out there.

The bullets had long since stopped fazing Suyapa, but what did scare her was how quickly she could hear the triggers being pulled. The walkers were getting closer, and the people on the farm were no-where near a safe-spot.

"We have to go!" Carol grabbed onto Su, returning from the outside without Lori, who would be heard calling for her son. It just made Su's eyes glisten when, once again, she imagined herself just feet away from her nieces as they were torn to bits, screaming for their helpless aunt.

"C'mon, there's no time for tears now!" Carol pulled onto the shocked Suyapa, dragging her outside to run away from the walkers.

Ignoring the screams of Beth, knowing either she or her mother had been bit, they continued to run until they were caught in a dead end. They couldn't enter the shed and on their other side was a wall full of walkers. Suyapa took in a frightened breath, holding tightly onto Carol, her eyes open and scanning between each walker, with a large cutting knife gripped firmly in her hand, hoping to find help.

No, no, she didn't want to die! Not now!

_Not now!_

Two shots were heard, to Suyapa's relief, revealing an angry-faced Andrea. _'There's a woman with balls!'_ Suyapa couldn't help but think, watching her stand so confidently amongst the herd.

Carol screamed, "Look out!"

"Andrea!" Suyapa took a step forward, wanting to help yet feeling powerless.

A shot rung loudly, leaving Suyapa stunned. Another kill for Andrea, from point-blank range, and not a sign of fear or hesitance written on her face. No…wait…Andrea was on the ground.

"No!" Su screamed out, fearing the worst for the woman who had just saved their lives. "Carol, Andrea's down!"

"We have to get out of here!"

"We have to help her!" Su begged. Unbeknownst to her, she was already stepping away from Andrea as the walkers came closer.

"It's no use! If she's down and we go back for her, we'll be walker food too!" Carol rationalized, already running ahead.

Su stopped suddenly, screaming in anger and frustration. Her resolve was finally broken and, so, Su held the bat up high and swung hard into the head of the nearest walker. Suyapa was seeing red; the loss of her family, the world going to hell, regretting the moment Andrea had to lose her life in order to save theirs, feeling lost and hopeless. Back and forth went the swinging bat, hitting walkers on every part of their bodies, while she ran blindly into the dark and, ultimately, into the forest.

* * *

_Present time…_

* * *

"AH!" A forceful grunt pushed the walker that had grabbed onto her purple jacket, ripping the material in the process. "You bitch!" The jacket tore further when Suyapa tried to move away, despite the walkers unnaturally strong grip. Another one of the dead was making its way to her and panic set in. She was trapped by her mother's memento. "Aw fuck it!" Struggling against the walker, Suyapa was able to maneuver herself out of the jacket and kicked the walker's leg, breaking the brittle bone as she did. Then, she was running once again.

Suyapa would miss the jacket of course, but the emotional security it brought her was nothing compared to her life being spared. She stopped, finally seeing a clearing in the trees, and tried to focus on what it could be. It was still too dark out to clearly see what lay beyond the trees, but the sun was finally rising and Suyapa opted to take her chances out there when she heard more walkers around her.

She was happy to find it was nothing but a safe, albeit abandoned, car cemetery, but she was ecstatic upon seeing the orange Gatorade sitting on the hood of an old yellow car, as well as some water and food. "_¡Gracias a Dios!_" She exclaimed, quickly opening the energy drink and swallowing it as quickly as she could. It was strange to hear herself speaking spanish after not using the language for so long, but right now she was happier enjoying the refreshment that was still cool from the morning temperatures.

_'SOPHIA STAY HERE_

_WE - - EVERY DAY'_

Su paused, putting down the nearly empty bottle, her eyes retracing every word multiple times. Sophia…Carol's daughter…These supplies were meant for that little girl, because they hoped she would come to this very place. It couldn't have been anything else. Suyapa didn't quite feel like eating the food anymore.

Seeing the road that curved out, Su looked through the distance to stare at the rising sun amongst the trees.

She was alive.

Someone had died to save her life.

A life she was so careless about caring for.

But, even so, she was alive.

It was funny how something as simple as the rising sun could make a person think; and it really made Suyapa think. She thought about her survival through the forest, having gathered the strength to not just run, but protect herself, something she didn't really know how to do and had no stomach for prior to this night. She thought about the loss of her jacket and realized, she carried her mother in her mind and her heart, she didn't need that uncomfortable blazer. She thought about her nieces, the two members of her family she thought would share her life until she passed away, old and grey. But she could die at any moment, she truthfully accepted that fact now. If she had died before meeting the group, she would've done it as a lonely coward, but at least if she had died on the farm she would've died with a new group of people who watched out for her. People like Andrea, Carol, and…Daryl.

Daryl had stopped her before, when she wanted to leave at the first sign of a problem. If he hadn't done that, perhaps Suyapa wouldn't have overcome her fears and problems. He might not have shared much with her, but Suyapa knew Daryl could read her like an open book; she had unknowingly let him. They were kindred spirits deep down inside and she didn't want to shame that. She was alive, and she would stay that way. Su's hand hovered over her lower lip and the tip of her tongue flicked against it when she licked her lips; all an unconscious reaction as her thoughts transcended into memories of interlocking lips.

Soon, the roar of a truck came hurrying towards the cars and Suyapa turned her tired face to it, hoping to someone familiar. The vehicles parked a few feet away, letting out the passengers. '_Rick and Carl,_' she smiled, then frowned as Carl started to complain about where his mother was.

"Where is everybody?" Suyapa questioned Hershel, wrapping her arms tightly around herself when she saw no one else following.

"We're not sure." Hershel responded carefully. "But we cannot stay here for too long if we're to survive the herd. Who knows when they'll come through, _if_ they come through."

Suyapa pursed her lip to the side, before nodding in understanding. Logically, Hershel was right, but that didn't mean Suyapa wanted to accept it. "We can't leave without the others…"

Hershel frowned realizing he was going to have to be the voice of reason, turning to Rick and calling for his attention. "You got to get your boy to safety." Suyapa looked between them and the roads, her black hair swinging around her face from the movement. "I'll wait here for my girls and the others. I know a few places, we'll meet up at some of 'em later."

Suyapa couldn't bare to listen to them anymore, not caring to interject their argument of whether or not Rick should stay, and choosing to watch Carl instead.

"We can't go." The young boy stated fiercely before Su could get a word out. "We can't go without my mom."

Su smiled, the boy was definitely strong willed. "I know," she responded kindly. "I don't wanna leave either."

"Walker!" Rick whispered, capturing Suyapa's attention. Everyone couched behind the vehicle, waiting for the walker to stagger by without noticing them.

Once the walker had come and gone, Hershel spoke again, this time making obvious their lack of safety in the open road.

"I-I'm not leavin' without mom." Carl whispered.

"They're gonna come back." Suyapa offered somewhat naively. "I was on my own, in the forest, and I came across this place without even realizing you'd come here. The rest of the people, they knew right? You guys came here, so they have to come through here too." Even Suyapa didn't believe herself, though she wanted to, but at least she was keeping hope alive.

Rick looked between Carl and Suyapa, trying to make the right decision and finally turning to Hershel. "So we're just gonna walk away? What if my wife, your-your girls are still out there? How do we live with that?"

"You have only once concern now. Keepin him alive." Hershel looked down at Carl. "Nature may be throwing us a curve ball, but that law is still true."

Rick looked at Suyapa, sadness in his eyes, an apology evident as he made his decision. They were gonna leave. "Su…You're welcome to come with us."

"I-I…" She couldn't make the words come to her tongue. She didn't want to leave, her mind screamed for her to stay and wait for everyone, but she knew his decision was the right one. Coming to that conclusion, Suyapa nodded slowly with a frown on her face.

"Carl…" Rick knelt down in front of his son, looking to the ground as he gathered his words. Su placed a hand on the car, quietly sitting on the bumper, and looking contrite into Carl's bright blue eyes. Rick looked back up. "It's not safe here. I'm sorry…We'll-"

Suyapa snapped her head toward the road behind them, hearing the sound of an engine approaching. The longer she looked, the closer the sound and eventually she was looking into the face of Daryl atop his motorcycle, with Carol holding tightly onto his back; behind him were the cars containing the remaining members of the group. Suyapa sprang up, running to the grass intersection between the two highways and waving her hands wildly to catch their attention. She could swear she saw Daryl smirk at her reaction, and when they arrived Suyapa forced Carol into a death-lock.

"I'm so happy, you don't even understand! I thought I lost you." She looked to the older woman, who was just inches taller than her, and smiled.

"You almost did, if it wasn't for Daryl here." Her smile caught on, leaving Carol in a wind of comfort.

Suyapa looked down at the man in the motorcycle and, without warning, threw her arms around him. He sat there awkwardly, his face flushing when he saw Carol smile and wink at him, before turning her body away from them. Scanning everyone else, Daryl was grateful that they were too wrapped up in their own heartfelt greetings to notice this public display of affection.

"You came back." She whispered, gripping against him again. Those words shocked Daryl, him never having had someone expect him back anywhere. Maybe his mom, but even she was so used to losing her son for hours that it wasn't exactly a welcome party when Daryl would come home. But here she was, the little hispanic woman who could barely speak to him without hesitating, who'm he'd shared a kiss or two with, greeting him with the warmest welcome he'd ever received.

Daryl wrapped his arms around her, quickly standing and holding her close but…not too close. Even a realization like that didn't take away the fact that Daryl didn't particularly like being seen with someone so intimately. "Told ya I could take care of myself."

Suyapa cracked a grin. "There's no way I would ever doubt that." She hugged him again but let him go when she noticed how tense he got. "Sorry." She frowned, a small smile still on her lips.

Daryl shook his head, holding her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. He turned to look to Rick, her small and naturally tan hand in his much larger one, but stepped closer to her, their grasp hidden from everyone. Still, the affection made Suyapa grin like a Chesire, it didn't matter that all people could see was their proximity to each other. Daryl was starting to show the same type of affection she felt growing for him, and that was more than she could've hoped for.

* * *

_A/N: Much longer! And I _HAD _to cut it there, because it felt like the best place to do so without interrupting the story arch too much. Anything prior made the chapter seem too short. Sorry for being days overdue, but there were a lot of things keeping me busy. But, I won't bore you with my personal life. Please, _**review!** _I would really appreciate some feedback! And, would the promise of smut entice anyone to do so?_


	7. Chapter 7

Suyapa rode in the vehicle with the Greenes and Glenn, on the window side of the small green car. That was it, they had chosen to continue on without looking for Andrea. It pained Suyapa to admit it, because she felt Andrea's death was an unnecessary sacrifice and she desperately wished for an outcome where the blonde woman pulled through, but the truth was…Andrea was definitely gone.

And Rick was right, if there was even a remote chance Andrea _wasn't_ dead, she was as-good-as. With the high number of walkers…

Heavy eyes had been overcoming Suyapa for the past hour of their ride but something always brought her out of it, things that wouldn't allow her to fall into a deep slumber; the worried murmurs of the other passengers of the car, the rolling wheels under them, the loud roar of Daryl's bike. This time, it as the horn of Rick's car that made everyone stop and pull over. Su took a deep breath, knowing that their pause meant bad news; she was right.

Gas.

Not enough gas.

Not enough bullets.

It seemed, even a happy reunion couldn't lift their spirits high enough to last for the day, because soon they were at it again; everyone worried about what they would do with no goods. T-Dog and Daryl made the usual scans of the area, which, at least, meant the immediate environment was safe for now.

"Alright, we'll set up a perimeter. In the morning, we'll find gas and some supplies. We'll keep pushing on." Rick, always the leader, offered a solution to their current predicament.

"Glenn and I could go make a run now, try to scrounge up some gas." Maggie offered.

Rick wouldn't even allow the option. "_No_, we stay _together,_" he further emphasized. "God forbid something happens and people get stranded without a _car._" He was right, Suyapa thought, a car held everything a person could need during these hard times.

This was a thought that led her to her own abandoned vehicle from weeks before. There wasn't much in there anyway. It was why she had been out of her car in the first place: to find a secure place where she could scrounge up some supplies before driving her car out, instead of driving mindlessly, using her already dwindling stocks without knowing for certain she'd have the gas to back it all up. For a second, Su entertained the idea of never leaving in the first place. Would she have still met Daryl? Rick? The rest of the group? Would she have survived on her own, before she found some will to live?

"Rick we're _stranded_ now." Glenn practically begged.

"I know it looks bad," Rick tried to encourage, "but we've all been through hell and worse, but at least we found each other. I wasn't sure, I-I really wasn't, but we _did_. We're together. We keep it that way." Everyone looked around, uncertainty filling the humid Georgia air. "We'll find shelter somewhere. There's _gotta_ be a place."

"Rick look around. There's walkers everywhere. It's like they're migrating or something." Glenn tried, once again, to make their leader see reality.

Rick did, in fact, look around as if he would find something within their ten-feet vicinity. "There's gonna be a place, not just where we hole up, but that we fortify, hunker down, pull ourselves together, build a life for each other."

Suyapa slowly nodded herself, wishing for such a place, knowing everyone else wanted someplace like that as well. "You think it's possible, Rick?" Her voice spoke up expectantly, hope still evident in her voice. "You really think there's a place like that?" Daryl fixed his gaze on her as she spoke, listening intently before offering a confident nod; apparently Daryl believed in it.

"I _know_ it's out there. We just have to find it!" Rick seemed almost angry now; frustrated. Suyapa felt bad for him, though she took a step back as his voice startled her. He was trying to hard to keep things together, but it seemed he, himself, was already starting to lose it.

"Even if we do find a place," Maggie added to Glenn's previous declaration, earning her a vexed look from Rick. "We can never be sure for how long. Look what happened with the farm. We fooled ourselves into thinking that that was safe."

"We won't make that mistake again." Hershel defended Rick, trusting him fully.

"We'll make camp tonight over there," Rick pointed to a small stone semi-fort just beyond the trees, "get on the road at the break of day."

"Does this feel right to you?" Carol asked Daryl, Suyapa looking to her questioningly.

"Really?" Su questioned Carol in a whisper, her face contorted in disbelief. However, when Carol looked back to her Suyapa just shook her head in disregard. There was no point in getting into this conversation now while there were other matters at hand.

Su just couldn't help but trust that Rick was just trying to keep them all alive, and if no one else offered a viable solution, they might as well keep believing in the man who'd already been doing just that. Suyapa might not have been with the group since the beginning but she knew how much Rick had done to keep them alive and well, before finding the farm. How he'd almost gotten himself killed going after Daryl's brother, trying to retrieve supplies, and then the CDC after that. All of the sacrifice Rick gave when his original pursuit was for his family; he almost died searching for what seemed like a lost cause. But it wasn't, and here they were.

"What if walkers come through, or another group like Randal's?" Beth spoke for the first time; her eyes were wide and innocent; fearful.

"You know I found Randal, right? He had turned, but he wasn't bit." Daryl looked directly at Rick, also hoping for an answer.

"How's that possible?" Beth voiced the same question Suyapa had asked previously when she first heard of Daryl's discovery.

"Rick, what the hell happened?" Lori asked in a demanding tone.

Daryl knew there was no other explanation; the tracks told the whole story. "Shane killed Randall. Just like he always wanted to."

"And then the herd got him." Lori pressed, finishing Daryl's statement with an assumption.

Finally the group fell silent. The only noise was the interrupting song of far away birds and unseen insects, sound that could have been relaxing given other circumstances.

As the group all gathered around Rick, pushing him for answers to their concerns, Rick found it was all too much. Overwhelmed was the only word Rick could find to define his situation, overwhelmed by the role given to him and by the truths he thought about every night. He had been carrying a terrible secret all the way from the CDC, but he wasn't sure he could hold it in any longer. If he did, the group would only push him for more answers, answers to their frantic questions, answers he didn't have. He let the group's demands die down, making the choice silently in his head.

"We're all infected."

It was all Rick could say.

* * *

A small fire crackled and burned in the center of the survivalists' make-shift camp. It didn't do much to warm the air, but it provided light in a dark world. Everyone had a blanket around them, preparing for the night winds, and for the cold attitude that had permeated through the night ever since Rick's news was first uttered.

They were all infected.

It didn't matter if they were bitten or not, whoever died, they would automatically turn into a walker. Just because, whatever virus had developed, chose to prey on the minds of the dead.

Obviously, everyone was freaked out but the more Suyapa thought about it, the more she realized, something like that…didn't even matter. Everyone was afraid of being bit; well now they had to be careful not to_ die_, which was basically the same thing they had been taking care for. Except, the higher risk would just make them more careful. And if they died naturally, well, at least now they knew the bodies had to be properly disposed of before they turned. All in all, she was taken aback by the news, but she couldn't understand why it hit everyone so negatively, why they were so upset about it.

"We're not safe with him…" Carol caught Daryl's attention, which caught Suyapa's who was sitting next to him. "Keeping something like that from us…Why do you need him? He's just gonna pull you down."

Suyapa frowned, inwardly disagreeing.

"No. Rick's done all right by me." Daryl went back to kindling the fire.

"You're his henchman and I'm a burden. You deserve better." Carol looked away, dejected.

"Carol…Rick's doing his best…being the leader is a hard position to have, not to mention he has to think of everyone while he still has to weigh his family in there." Su interjected adamantly while she looked at her older friend, surprised by the inclinations and lack of confidence in Rick.

"What do you want?" Daryl asked, getting fed-up with her distressed attitude. _If she realized she was added responsibility to the group, why didn't she do anything about it already?_ His tone surprised Suyapa a bit, who wasn't expecting him to lash out at Carol again.

"A man of honor."

"Rick _has_ honor." Daryl continued to defend the man gradually earning his respect.

"I think we should take our chances." Maggie spoke, adding her personal opinion into the budding conversation.

Suyapa frowned, if this had been a ship she was sure this would be mutiny. She looked to Lori, who was leaning into her son's shoulder. Su nudged Carl to get his mom's attention when she saw Lori made no move to say something to the group. It was obvious Lori heard, but all she did was shrug her shoulders, looking none-too-happy. If not even Rick's wife had faith in him, then there was nothing Suyapa could do. She stood, getting tired of their lack of faith and ungratefulness.

"Whatever…" Suyapa mumbled to herself, dusting herself from the forest debris that had gotten on her dark pants.

"Where you goin'?" Daryl stopped her, standing next to her with his eyebrows furrowed.

She shrugged, not having prepared an excuse for herself. "I dunno, the cars?" She rolled her eyes when the questioning look in Daryl's face remained. "I need to get something." She finished sarcastically when a sound went off in the distance, something like a twig breaking or leaves rustling.

Everyone spun their bodies to scan the surrounding forest.

"What was that?"

Daryl turned his head to the woods, straining his ears to listen better. "Could be anything. Could be a raccoon, could be a possum.

"Walker."

"We need to leave." Carol panicked. "I mean, what are we waitin' for?"

"Which way?" Glenn asked, preparing himself to find a new place to settle for the night and collecting his things.

"It came from over there."

"Back from where we came."

"Yeah."

Rick stopped them right there. "The last thing we need is for everyone to be runnin' off in the dark," He started, walking to the fire and away from his guard post. "We don't have the vehicles. No one's travelin' on foot."

"Don't panic." Hershel continued to openly agree.

"I'm not…I'm not sitting here, waiting for another herd to blow through." Maggie answered her father, her weapon in hand, ready to fire if needed. "We need to move, _now._"

"No one is going anywhere." Rick insisted.

"Do something." Carol whined, which was, frankly, starting to irritate Suyapa. She adored Carol, but every since the incident with Daryl there was something she didn't like. Suyapa sighed behind the groups arguments; she hoped her friend would proceed out of this phase soon.

Of course, all of their talk soon had Rick exploding at them, admitting to the murder of his best friend, which surprised even Suyapa. Shane was difficult, yeah, but killing him? Had that really been necessary? Maybe there was more to Rick than she realized, though she kept trying to understand his reasons. First she looked to Daryl, hoping to find guidance in his demeanor but Suyapa was left alone with her personal thoughts when Daryl looked to Rick and nothing else.

"Why don't you go and find out yourself?_ Send me a postcard!_ Go on, there's the door. You can do better?_ Let's see how far you get_…No takers? _Fine_, but get one thing straight. You stay? This isn't a democracy anymore." Rick spoke, finally releasing his frustration with the group. They liked to make all the decisions but always wanted that one person to take the fall and be responsible. Well, if that was the case, Rick would take the blame, but it'd be for the choices _he_ made to keep the group alive. He was done with their unappreciative attitudes, and it was time everyone started realizing the truth.

* * *

Suyapa stood, somewhat awkwardly, by the slab Rick had just walked behind. The one thing on her mind was to get away from the rest of the group for a second but Su found herself unsure of what to say to accomplish solitude. She didn't want to seem insensitive to their discussion, but a lot of what had been said, she felt, was directed more at those that had been with the group longest.

Still, she didn't want to set him off.

"Rick?" She called softly, seeing his body aimed towards the woods. Rick turned, his face still angry. Actually, more than that, Su suddenly noticed, he seemed…fatigued, as if every bit of his energy was now spent. Su couldn't blame him.

"What?" He asked curtly.

"Well, uh, you see…I need to go to the cars." Su's feet scuffed the ground as she spoke timidly.

"No." He turned back to the woods, not pausing to mull the request over.

"Please, Rick. I _really_ need to go back." Suyapa begged, though still unsure of the motive she would give.

"Why?" Rick turned, briskly walking to her. "_No one leaves the group, no one gets separated_. Weren't you listenin'?"

"No, I was. It's just…" Su looked up to the sky and bit her lip trying to think, when an idea came to her. "I'm embarrassed to admit, but I think it's _that time of the month._" Su looked away, trying to hide the lie from her face. Did she really need to get away from the group so badly she would have to embarrass herself this way? Yes.

"Oh…" Rick cleared his throat, uncertainty in his voice. "Well, can't you ask some of the other girls for stuff?"

"I asked some of them, but they didn't have any on them or they didn't need them anymore." Su said, trying to be both vague and discreet. She knew Lori wouldn't be needing pads anytime soon, but she wasn't sure if Carol still menstruated or not. She assumed so, it's not as if the woman was so much older but Rick didn't need to know that.

Rick looked at the group who had turned cold and were busy whispering amongst themselves, then at the road that was a little whiles away, far enough that they were hidden from passing vehicles but close enough that they could still see the road. Rick looked at Suyapa, who was trying to give her biggest smile, and he found it was her ability to play with him despite his outburst that finally had him give him. "Just take someone with you. Someone who can shoot. Can't take no chances."

"Yes, sir!" Su fake a military salute, earning a small tired grin from Rick.

Of course there was only one person she could take on this trip that would appreciate it as much as she did, and that was Daryl. She didn't have to say anything, just nod towards the cars, start walking, and he was on her tail right away.

"Where we goin'?" Daryl asked, his crossbow high and ready to shoot.

"Cars."

"I figured, but what for?"

"Nothin'. Just needed to get away from everyone's bickering for a while, but Rick said I had to bring someone who could 'shoot' and who better'n you?" Su opened the door to Maggie's small green car, sitting in the back. "Sit up front. You can push the seat back and stretch your legs better that way."

"We ain't doin' nothin' here. They're gonna know." Daryl protested, though he still pushed himself into the ridiculously effeminate vehicle. Seriously, who drives cars like this? It looked like an egg more than a car, at least Daryl thought so.

"Noooo," Su sang, her mood considerably improved. "Not unless you tell them, and you won't tell them right? Because that'll totally ruin our only chance of taking a breather from our _very_ stressful day." Su leaned on the back seat, closing her eyes in the silence, and smiling when she heard the clicks of a seat being reclined and pushed back. "Knew you'd give in."

Daryl grunted, which grew into a small chuckle. He took in the sounds of the country, the sounds of his childhood, and compared how different it was then and now. Admittedly, it was a hell-hole in both situations, but at least then he could sleep outside without worrying that a geek would try and bite his legs off.

A pair of arms snaked around his neck, startling Daryl.

"What're you doin'?" He mumbled, barely glancing his eyes to the pair of tanned arms.

Suyapa pressed her cheek against the headrest and exhaled, her warm breath trickling down Daryl's neck. "Thank you."

"For what?" Daryl responded softly, a part of him fearing that if he spoke any louder she'd move away.

"For having faith in the faithless." Su chuckled lightly, her own voice mellowing down to just above a murmur. "Carol. Rick. Me. Everyone's gone through shit, but seeing you hold strong for us, it makes me think you're not a bad guy at all. A little rough around the edges, sure, but not a bad guy." She smiled when she felt Daryl scoff and, as she talked, she embraced his fingers that worked their way into her grip. "But me especially. I want to thank you because you've shown me I don't have to be alone. I'm _not_ alone." Su opened her palm against his chest, sitting closer to his reclined seat, and let him play with her, permanently, dirty hands. She had tried scrubbing off as much dirt as possible, but cuts had scabbed and dirt had gotten under her skin so there wasn't much she could do. "Don't think it's weird, and please, _please_, don't push me away for this."

Daryl paused all movement, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"I found out, when I got lost and after what Rick said, _how we're all infected_, that I don't want to die anymore. And I think it's because I've found a new family." Su paused to take a breath, moving on past the fact that Daryl was no longer caressing her. "This group has really grown on me, but there's only one person who really fits into that title, and that's you." Su lowered her voice even further, hoping to God she hadn't scared him away. "You're my family Daryl, even if I'm not yours. Because you've given me back the desire to keep fighting for my life, to not just be this weak person with a helluva lot of good luck. Because my life is all I have left." She licked her lips, listening to him breath. "I know I haven't shown a lot of worth up to now, but I'll try my damnedest to help you with whatever you need. So thanks, Daryl, for helping me heal."

There was a silence that worried Su, who watched Daryl sit still in his seat, in the same position._ At least he hadn't stormed off, right?_ Suyapa began pulling her hand away but felt it tugged back by his firm grasp.

"Look. I ain't much for words, I told you before. But you don't gotta thank me for nothin' 'cause if you survived up to now, it's been because you wanted to, even if ya didn't realize it. There ain't no way someone could survive out there on just dumb luck."

"Be that as it may, you were the one that brought me to the farm, you stopped me from leaving, and then…well, I don't wanna get too sappy." Su pulled her arm back towards her, trying to laugh off the fact that she was only further embarrassing herself. "Come on, we should go before Rick has another fit." She opened the door to the car, stepping out and breathing in the thick, musty air.

"Hey."

"Keep walkin' cowboy." Su teased, knowing that the warmth from her face belonged to more than just the hot Georgia air.

"_Stop._"

Suyapa bit her bottom lip, knowing Daryl could figure out where her comments were leading. "Yeah?"

"Turn around." There was a tease in his voice, which only enflamed the mortification written on Su's face.

"No.

"Why not?"

"Because…my face is red…" Su admitted, still not wanting to face Daryl.

"Quit being stupid an' c'mere."

"No." Su crossed her arms, her face facing the ground though an ever-growing smile was planted firmly on her lips.

"I swear…" Daryl started before he spun her body around, using his hand to dip her head back and lean in closer to her. He studied her eyes, the shining brown depths that glanced back and forth between his. They were almost scared, almost the same as when he first found her unsure of what to make of him. Even with the similarities, her body told him she was waiting in anticipation. "I thought I was the one s'possed t'be embarrassed. And here you are, actin' like I just peeped on you." Daryl teased, grinning slightly.

Suyapa chuckled, wrapping her arms around his neck and lifted her head further to get closer to his lips. A quick and happy, "shut up," was all that was needed now.

Daryl closed the small gap between them, his lips grinning against her soft and warm ones. His hand moved to grip the side of Su's face and Daryl felt a warmth begin to swell inside him. This wasn't their first kiss, but it was different. Now, there was a sort of understanding, something they both wanted and needed in this solitary world. Suyapa's belly tingled and she wrapped her arms tighter around him, bringing them closer together.

Daryl suddenly burned at her touch, though it was a pleasant heat quite unlike the humid air around them; he wanted more. Daryl wanted to press her tightly against him, lift her to him until there was no space between them. He allowed himself to act upon these urges, somehow ending up against the hood of the car with Suyapa's legs wrapped around his waist. His hand found the skin on her stomach and side, his fingers kept pressing her shirt higher and higher until his thumb teased the bottom of Su's bra.

Suyapa moaned, her mouth open and ready to accept Daryl's intruding tongue; her body was responding instinctively to Daryl's. Feeling Daryl's mouth leave hers, Su took a moment to look up into the sky, seeing the beauty of the moon and glittering stars while her body was set ablaze. While the stars twinkled, she felt Daryl's chapped lips plant kisses down her neck and collarbone. The sensation of cracked skin was strange, but knowing it belonged to Daryl's lips only made Su yearn to feel it more. Daryl's hand felt so large and powerful as he pushed her hair away from her neck, almost as if he wanted to devour her. All of this, plus his teasing hand under her shirt, soon held Suyapa in a frantic state of arousal, moaning and parting her lips.

Daryl could feel it, his member growing harder with every sound and movement Su made. Her legs wrapped tighter around his middle, pressing their most intimate parts together, and Daryl wanted nothing more than to lower her pants, push himself inside of her, and explode.

Unfortunately, this was not the place nor the time for such lewd acts and he, reluctantly, pulled away, his hands releasing her body and spreading her thighs so he could take a step back, though he'd much rather spread them for other reasons. Another jolt of pressure flew straight to his groin, following the erotic image of Suyapa moaning and writhing underneath him. Daryl groaned.

"What's wrong?" Su was panting, her hand brushing back her thick black mass of hair and the other on her heaving chest.

"We gotta go."

"Seriously?" She whined, rolling her eyes upwards again and letting out a noise of protest. "Fuck me." She sighed.

"Don't." Daryl shot, another image flashed through his mind of her saying those exact words, though much more lustfully.

"Don't what?" Suyapa looked at him and his very tight pants. "Well…alright then…" Su grinned, a small laugh playing on her lips.

"Look, we can't do this right now. We been here long enough, Rick's gonna be pissed, and we can't leave the group alone." Daryl tried looking around, hoping to get his mind back into regularity; he even began straining his ears to listen for any potential walkers.

"Yeah, you're right." Su hopped down from the hood of the car and stopped short of Daryl. "But you gotta take care of that hard on, 'fore someone sees. Though it obviously ain't gonna happen with the ol' traditional in-out-in-out."

Daryl's eyes shot towards her smirking face, closing as he tried to figure out what she really meant. "Ain't you just a peach. Y'know, for someone who don't talk much, or well, for that matter, ya sure can say some stupid shit." He laughed, making his way back to the camp, and staring at her swaying ass in front of him. "What d'ya mean?"

"Nothin'. Just try to keep up, yeah? An' quit starin' at my ass." Su turned to wink at him before scurrying back the rest of the way, leaving Daryl to force unsettling images into his head.

* * *

**Hey y'all! Sorry 'bout this, but I had to make some serious edits to the first half of this chapter. I was super tired when I posted it last time. But I feel better about it now!**

**I also wanted to give a shout-out to** Merle's Sugartits**, who's one of**** the few people who has shown me continuous support, **Colours Doyle**, who's been so consistent with her reviews, and** imaginewagons**! Check out their stories, these are some seriously awesome writers!**

**And a special shout-out to **Leyshla Gisel **who was the only person to review the original version of this chapter! You seriously made my day girl! I'm super excited every time I see your reviews!****  
**

**Why the happy mood? Well, I'm hoping to close this "one-shot", (_yes, I still refuse to acknowledge that it's spun out of control_) /short series with the next chapter. I promised smut, will there be any? YES! Call it a cheap move, but I'm focusing the last chapter on the physical aspect of Daryl/Su's relationship. There will most definitely be some fluff somewhere because, yes, I think Daryl can be a sweetheart, but there will also be aspects of a more primal need that _two young, consenting adults that are on the same page_ will undoubtedly have. You'll see what I mean when we get there.**

**Also, to **Colours Doyle**, I know you asked for more interactions between Su and the rest of the group, but as I was writing, I couldn't find a place where it would have made sense for Su's character. Especially since I've already molded her into a solitary character. It's bad enough that her friendship with Carol didn't return to the way it used to be; sad, circumstantial, but that's how it goes. I don't want her to be a heartless bitch, which I hope I'm not portraying, but she's not an inherently social person so, unless there's a solid reasoning, I can't see her interacting with just anybody for just any reason. Does that make sense? I hope I didn't let you down!**


	8. Chapter 8

"You look like you're pretty distracted." Suyapa said, sashaying over to the sofa Daryl was currently inhabiting. "Mind if I interrupt your thoughts?"

Daryl smirked, moving his body towards the crease of the couch and making room for the hispanic. Truth be told, he thought things would've gotten awkward after their relationship took a turn for the physical, but was glad it hadn't. As she snuggled in closer to him, Daryl took a moment to smooth down her thick hair. "Couldn't sleep or sumthin'?" Daryl asked, embracing the comfort of having her smaller body pressed against his.

Su shrugged, preferring to press his arm against the curve of her body and under her arm. Nervous breaths began to calm and brown eyes strained against the darkness to take in the indents of his hands.

Outside the temperature was beginning to drop, the nights growing longer and the days shorter, making the group's hunt for food and shelter an increasingly difficult job. Rick had taken on to the role of leader quite aggressively but, despite some earlier doubt, the group was starting to rationalize all of his actions; after all, they were still alive, despite months of living in the wild with the walkers. Lori was starting to show, which became an unspoken worry for many of the group. Would she be able to handle the strenuous feat of running from walkers? Could they possibly find enough food for everyone and the unborn baby? Would she, potentially, make them a target to other groups who could use her as a hostage? Fortunately, Hershel had taken it upon himself to care for the blossoming woman, assuring everyone in the group that if they were careful, the baby should be born just fine. Carol, having strayed a bit from the company of Suyapa and Daryl, became quite the nurse, never leaving Lori's side and soaking in as much information as she could. Daryl was just as faithful to Rick, essentially becoming his second in command and even Suyapa had taken the time to develop her skills with a firearm, though she found she preferred using a bat or a crowbar, even a knife, to a gun. Simply put, Su's aim for the brain was better and, for all the bullets she could've been wasting, it was much more instinctual to stab an attacker on her part.

But everyday that passed that the group grew stronger and more organized, the dangers of the everyday world grew and they were all physically exhausted. There was no telling how much longer they could handle scurrying from place to place, and there was no telling where their loyalty to the human race would end. It was now the group's survival above all else. Not even a solitary stranger could survive when it meant that the group need go without. Even so, Suyapa couldn't have picked any other group she would've preferred than this one.

There was a soothing hum that came from the outdoors, one that almost matched the purring inside of Su's body. Daryl's lips rarely left Su's and his hands were so occupied with moving her hair away from Su's face that she could almost swear he was doing it just to watch her. He had told her he wanted to wait until they could do it inside, not cramped in a friend's car or up against some tree; Daryl had made this very clear.

* * *

"_Ain't gonna have no walkers try t' take a snap at us just when I'm at my best…an' this ain't high school neither! When we do it, we're gonna do it right."_

* * *

It had taken them near two months before Daryl and Suyapa shared anything more than an eager kiss or a wanted caress, but when Daryl finally wrapped her honey colored legs around his firm waist and then proceeded to take control of her breasts with his calloused hands, Suyapa knew pleasure and release.

She smiled, sensing that Daryl was asleep and placed a gentle kiss on his bruised knuckles. He might not appear to be, but Daryl was quite the romantic when it came down to it.

A cool breeze blew against Su's neck, causing her to shiver and look around for the open window. She would have to close it, not just for the cold temperature but for the danger it posed; an open window meant a probable walker attack, something the group was desperately wishing to take a break from, especially after finally finding a decent cabin to regain their strengths in. But, as Suyapa looked around, she realized there was no window to close…and the sensation on her neck had grown into a soft pressure.

Her face warmed and her heart began to beat rapidly. Daryl chuckled against her, pulling his lips away from her cool and slender neck for a moment to say, "still can't sleep?"

Suyapa gripped his hand harder against her chest, wetting her lips while she hurriedly opened his palm and led it under her shirt. She turned her head to capture Daryl's lips, moaning and sighing softly into his mouth while he thumbed her nipple.

"Gotta be careful," Daryl spoke after releasing Su's mouth, though his hand remained in motion. "–Can't risk wakin' nobody."

"Uh-huh," Su murmured, too wrapped up in the feel of Daryl's strong hand against her. She let out a breathy smile as her nether lips began to moisten.

"Woah there, hot stuff," Daryl groaned when Su's backside developed a slow but adamant grind into his lap, awakening the same desire in him that he had roused in her.

"Daryl…" Su whispered out, removing his hand and slowly leading it down to rest above the hem of her pants.

"Yer real eager tonight…" Daryl whispered into her hear, his fingers teasing the skin above her pants. "Waddaya want?"

Su bit her lip, her nerves vigilant to every one of Daryl's ministrations and her eyes scanning the abandoned room around them. There was no one down in the living room, as the cabin provided enough rooms for the group to divide and get some well-deserved privacy; the Grimes family together, the Greenes, T-Dog and Glenn, Carol and Suyapa. Daryl had offered to stay on the couch in order to keep watch, though it seemed that would not be happening tonight…

Suyapa's groan erupted from within her belly when she felt him press the tip of his fingers into the skin underneath her jeans and his lips behind her ear, his hand digging soothingly into the black mass of waves that he moved out of the way.

"Tell me what you want," Daryl repeated much more firmly.

"Touch me," Su moaned.

He smirked, teasingly. "What?"

"Touch me, please. I'm burning up," she begged, breathlessly, almost in a whisper.

Daryl bit into her neck softly and began massaging her wet bundle of nerves, covering her mouth when she could not control her reaction.

Su nodded in appraisal, her thighs rubbing against each other. Her hands worked their way around both his and her body, touching everything possible when her mind slowly faded into an erotic state. Suyapa could not think, simply feel Daryl's hands as they manipulated her body, fingers pushing deep inside her and attending to every one of her unspoken requests as if they knew what she wanted before she did. It was both alarming and arousing the way her vaginal liquids gushed her inner thighs and his fingers, making vulgar squelching noises with every thrust of the digits. But he seemed to enjoy the act as much as she did, Suyapa sensing that his gaze was fixed on her yet again.

Pulling her head back for a kiss, Daryl brought his hand to rest next to her head, and pulled the other hand out from between her legs and over her breasts, spreading her juices further. Suyapa was moved to rest right underneath him, her chest heaving and her eyes opened once more. She had been close, not quite achieving an orgasm, but wanting to participate in the rare amorous gesture. She wrapped an arm around around Daryl, using the other to skate down his stomach and unbutton his pants.

"Daryl," she whispered into his lips, her leg stretching up to lean against the back of the couch while she released his hard member.

The younger of the Dixon brothers was having a difficult time not pushing himself completely inside of her, thrusting frantically until he came. But that was not how he wanted her to see him. Daryl Dixon was not an overly sexual man, he could go months without doing the deed if he had to, unlike his older brother. But that was because sex was not something he took lightly, even though it was an all natural need. He was not toying with Su for release, if that was what he wanted he would have gotten off a long time ago, or he would have simply gone to the bathroom. That was not, however, how Daryl thought they should be. She obviously wanted him and he obviously wanted her, but he was going to do this right with the one person who needed and wanted only him. Everyone else _had_ each other, everyone else _wanted_ each other, Daryl could count on anyone else from the group, but who _he_ needed was _her_; this hispanic young woman who seemed misplaced in the new world and counted on him, both physically and emotionally.

It was a strange thing to have someone depending on him so completely.

Then he was moving her legs apart, coming in close to her. With his hand on his shaft, Daryl began to tease her with the head of his member. She felt the slickness of his excitement, the precum gently oozing from the tip of him. And she felt him mixing with her own juices, her own readiness an evidence of her passion.

Then he was pushing her further apart, spreading Su's legs wider. And then, at last, he was inside her.

The silence was cut by her deep moan, and she lifted her head. He pushed himself slowly as far in as he could go, then gave an extra push. And there he stayed, for several moments. Both of them breathed heavily. Soon, Daryl began to withdraw, and it was as if Suyapa could feel the rim of the head dragging down her insides. She could feel him pulling out, all the way. He slipped his fingers against her wetness once more, teasing her by taking away what she had wanted. But he would give it back, she knew. And then he was inside her again, deep, hard. This time, he didn't withdraw fully, he only pulled himself out part way. She opened her eyes to look up at him, and without Daryl seeing, she watched him. His face was twisted in a grimace of craving. He was looking down at where their two bodies were joined, watching himself as he teased at her with his fingers and wiggled his shaft side to side. She trembled, watching him like that. He wanted for her so badly. He wanted all parts of her. She sighed contentedly, and lay her head back down, closing her eyes. With his fingers, he teased at her puffy lips, then thrust inside her again. He pulled out, and repeated it.

It was maddening and Suyapa wished suddenly that he would just fuck her, take her hard. And as if reading her mind, he began to do just that. With his hands on her hips, he pulled her slightly away from the couch, their hips hovering in the air a bit. Daryl leaned back, kneeling so his torso was straight up now. And he began to pump his cock in and out of her wetness. She had soaked him, slicked over his shaft completely with her nectar. Sliding in and out of her was easy, but still a gorgeous thrill. Her sheath sucked at him, pulled at him. And, finally, she began to cum. With her fingernails clutching the cushions on the couch, she moaned quietly but forcefully, so he could hear the pleasure he was giving her. That made him grunt and slam into her harder. Daryl put a hand on the small of her back, holding her still while he took her. Harder he went, in and out. And her tight opening pulled at him, tormented him as she came, her muscles tight around his member.

At last, Suyapa was done, panting and heaving on the couch.

But Daryl Dixon was not. He pulled himself out of her all the way, teasing along her lust-swollen lips; waiting for her to cease quivering before her continued. Daryl separated her vaginal lips with one hand and used the head of his member to smear her own orgasmic fluids over and around her clitoris. This was new, Suyapa thought, shaking in excitement and apprehension. This was dangerously new, surprisingly new. Once more, Daryl Dixon was not an overtly sexual person, so she could never be sure what he was willing and able to do.

But she would not deny him anything, especially not this harmless, albeit atypical, exploration.

* * *

_Suyapa clung to the pillow underneath her, biting her bottom lip, feeling instead of thinking of what Daryl was doing. It was a breathtaking sensation, feeling the tip of his head rubbing her sensitive nub with their mixed juices, combined with the tender feelings that she was always and forever safe with him._

* * *

Suyapa licked her lips, her breathing and heartbeat rapid withing her chest.

* * *

_Daryl teased his cock head at her slick opening, and Su felt the extreme heat of it. When he began to push inside the tight, pulsating rim of muscles there, she realized that as a woman, parts of her were prone to numbness, to feel only pleasure and be devoid of other sensations._

_He had kept his promise to her, to take her once they found a decent place that wouldn't make them feel like a couple of animals. And now here they were, taking advantage of the fact that the group had gone out for supplies, and exploring each other instead. He had been somewhat awkward in his approach, slow and clumsy, but Su was the one to fast drive the actions, touching herself form beneath the close and arousing Daryl until he was kissing her and removing her clothes._

_Her own work had brought her close, but entering her caused her first orgasm, which only seemed to make her tighter; the sweet pain of him filling her was extraordinary. She was no virgin, but it had been a while since she'd last been touched in such a wanton way._

_Su's brain felt alive, taking in the new sensations. And her pussy felt like it was being torn, like a burning branding iron was being inserted inside her._

_The heat did not subside, but the pain became pleasure as he slowly let her engulf his entire shaft and his fingers grasped tightly onto her hips. He was long, thick, but she had taken him in as if it were nothing. Once he got past that tight rim of throbbing muscles, it was smooth and hot within her. His cock was like a fiery torch inside her now. He began to pull it out, and she moaned, making him stop. Then he pulled out more, and she realized he was listening to her sounds. Daryl was seeing if she liked it, if she desired more. And she did. She pushed her bottom upwards towards his groin, groaning as she did so, whimpering and whining for his flesh to be further inside her. Daryl pushed deep inside again, rocking her body with his thrust. Then his hands were on her hips, pulling her legs around him._

_Su knew he was watching her. She could feel the burn of his length inside her and his eyes on their joined flesh. And it gave Su sheer chills of delight. He began to lose control now. He was moving faster, wilder, and she could feel him reaching his end._

* * *

Daryl was panting heavily at this point, Su could hear the vigorous breathing that brought the other half of her out of her reverie. Then he was leaning over her back, his mouth to her ear. Suyapa whispered to him. "I'm yours." She turned her head to one side, and his seeking tongue found her own. Kissing her thus, he came inside her, lying over her now.

There was quiet for a moment, nothing heard but the rapid breaths of the two adults. That was when Daryl began to chuckle, his head pressed into the nape of her neck while his shoulders bounced in his hysterics. Su smiled, feeling a warmth separate from the physical gratification they had just shared. Her hair was a mess and so she pulled it under her head, letting the cool air hit her pleasantly. Daryl readjusted himself, putting his softening organ away and pulling Su's shirt back over her exposed chest; her sleeping shorts were currently on the ground, but he was in no mood to let her up just yet.

"What're you laughing at?" Su whispered, staring at the ground and smiling. Not that she really wondered, but she wanted to hear more of his voice.

"You." Daryl answered charmingly. "Yer cute, y'know that right?"

Su blushed, turning to face him and placing a kiss on his lips. "You're one to talk, watching me like a love-lorn teenager."

Daryl scoffed. "Yer hot when you get turned on. Ain't a crime is it?"

"No," Su smiled, sitting up and reaching for her short.

"Y'ain't leavin' are you? S'pose you should, so's no one starts askin' questions." Daryl readjusted his body, all the while staring at Suyapa's every movement.

She sighed, stretching upwards and almost falling over when she found her legs still somewhat weak. "Woah!" She landed right back on the couch and began tracing his chest. "For your information, I wasn't planning on going anywhere. And if you think they're gonna _start_ to ask questions, you've been living in a different reality, because I'm almost positive everyone knows." Su smiled, reaching down to place another kiss on Daryl's lips.

Moving himself again, Daryl placed her right on top of his chest, indifferent to the protesting of the sofa wires. He looked down at her, her bright brown eyes staring up at him and her lips upturned in a gentle grin. "What was it you said t'me?"

Su took a moment to decipher what he meant, but when she did she only grinned further, though more mischievously than innocent. "I'm yours…" She mumbled, trying to hide behind her embarrassment, a position he was quickly learning to enjoying putting her in.

"What was that?"

"I said," Su breathed, staring right back at him, though losing no color in her face. "I'm yours."

Daryl Dixon was proud, having someone who wanted him so. Maybe Merle'd call him a pussy for being so sentimental with a woman, maybe his dad would've done so too. Who knows. But Daryl liked it, and it made him feel good so fuck everything, right? Yeah.

"Good, 'cause there ain't no way yer gettin' rid of me, now."


End file.
